The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1887-05-12

whether we got the load from two OF all of
the guns on that side. We not only got the
fire from in front, but whitening fire from
those Just northeast of the main fort.
Tha' ditch was our only haven, and the regi-
ment seemed TO have but two thOughts-to get
there quick, and TO take our flag along. j saw
II fall once, and First Serg't Jack Lawder, Of
Co. II, took IL up 20 carry it less than rod
and drop dead. Then his Captain, Alex Nc
Laughlin, Of Niagara Falls, took il less than
another rod, and fell with both thigh-bones
broken. 30 il went across that thrashing- door
Of death.
] received a slight leg wound myself just be-
fore i leapcd for the ditch. Landing on its
bottom we found il at least eight feet deep.
instantly, with several Others began TO boost
our men up TO the earth level, where there was
ledge just wide enough 10 stand on, and the
second man put up was Charles DeWolf Of Co
h, with our flag in his hands. The stream Of
men still poured slowly in, and when / saw the
first strange face-that is, not of my own regi-
ment-l gave my foot TO another and squeezed
in between Charley DeWolf and the next man
20 him. There were no stakes along this ditch,
as some have stated.
Charley held the flag down and out over the
ditch, so it
COULD NOT DE SHOT OFF
or snatched from his hand We were at the
southeast corner, on the east face, not 10 feet
from that corner gun, and facing toward Fort
Gilmer few rods before us, Just where the
works turned TO the right DeWolf saw a man
raise the Sth Conn. flag up 10 the terra-plane,
standing just as we were. He cried out aloud,
Boys, there goes that sth Conn. flag! Over
she goes!"
These last words were his orders 10 us 10
start, aud suitng his acts TO his words, he raised
the flag high above his head and we all scrab-
bled over the works together
When we jumped into the ditch the works
were ChOck full Of rebels where we went and
there were about 10 men near the corner on
that broad platform, and these all surrendered
without shot. At the rear end of the traverse
was group Of - or 80 men. These had guns
and all seemed TO fire at us
Our flag fell on the platform beside the gun,
and on il fell Charley DeWolf pierced with
what seemed a dozen wounds above his belt
And here let me stop to record the dying words
Of this young hero. Serg't Wesley Sprague, Of
his company knelt by his side and said,
Charley, what shall write your father2"
lie had served two years in the same company
with his son.
With oonvulsive gasps Charley answered,
Tell-the-old-man-
-BEsT-I-coULDi"
and died. Oh! you good people up in Blue
Earth County, Mimi. if he is alive, take good
care OF old Alvin DeWolf. "a noble sire must
have bred so brave son."
When i lit" on the platform Of that gun
the nearest rebel TO me Yas-by the braid on
his sleeve and collar-an officer. He held n
smoking Colts aiin his hand. aud over the point
OF my sword ] asked for il and got tive got
ityet. looked and saw five chambers loaded
and uncapped. / asked for caps, and he had
none. j asked, "What were you in command
OFF" aud he replied, with a gesture, "These
men!" j ordered him over into the ditch
along with the others.
took five or six of the Goth and five or six
other men that had just come over between
where we entered and where We had seen the
sth Conn. flag 20 over. The men were coming
over fast now, and in just the same shape that
we did. We went down into the street that
formed the rcar-side 10 the works. Ii was a
hot place. From the rear, in all directions,
came shots at rs from the retreating foe. The
bunch Of rebels who fired at Us at first had re-
treated around 10 the west side Of the traverse
and some sth Conn. chaps had followed them.
While i was mOnkeying with my revolver,
borrowing caps and putting them on il. and
getting down TO the street. they were having
QUITE A SHOOTING scRAPE
with them. IT ended in five or six dead reb-
els and the balance going over the front into
the ditch as prisoners.
The situation as / saw it in the fort was
peculiar All the woods 10 the left, the field
10 the rear, and the cornfelds aud young pine
woods 10 the northeast were filled with rebels
in more or less disorganzed condition. saw
two or three gOOa-szed companies leaving in
pretty good shape, and well out Of the way.
Many others were stopping under the first cover
TO fire back, and there was a constant scattering
Of shot among those old log barracks. / saw no
well-organiZed companies or regiments come in
TO the fort for the first 40 minutes, but saw
any number of groups Of five or six men,
sometimes Of two or three different regiments |
with Lieutenant or maybe Sergeant in CON-
mand, whacking away, each on its own hook.
Alter we had been down in that street about |
20 minutes, saw group Of officers around
dead body, and on inquiry was told it was
Gen. Bnmham. i soon after met 10 or Is Of
the 96tb N. Y. with two or three Of its officers
and with them our flag They told me that
Col. Cullen was in command of the brigade aud
within an hour or two later he was in command
OF the division temporarily. he outranked
many COlonels by holding a commission in the
Regular Army. Capt. Henry Buchanan was in
command Of the regiment, and was detailed
as Adjutant That night detailed for fatigue
duty
EVERY UNwoUHDED MAN AND OFFICER
in the regiment, and with Capt Buchanan, a
few wounded, the Hospital Steward, three
coior-guards and our flag, lay down on the open
ground just outside the ditch at the southwest
corner of the fort and slept.
The next morning, in discharge Of my duty |
as Adjntant prepared with great care list |
OF the casualties Of the day previous; and by